Love Local Downtown
Downtown Cheyenne Rewards Program
support small
Get rewarded for supporting downtown businesses in more ways than one! For the months of November and December, earn points to turn into rewards every time you shop, share or support downtown businesses for the rest of 2022!
earn points
From November 1st – December 31st, collect as many points as possible anytime you support downtown businesses by the different opportunities listed below. No account required – text us (1-307-219-1119) a photo and/or screenshot showing the way you supported local from the list below (i.e. a screenshot of your social media comment tagging your friends in a downtown business post or photo of your receipt) to earn points and add them to your total balance!
To check your running points balance at any time, simply text us the keyword “BALANCE” to 1-307-219-1119. We will verify your entries to confirm the points you have earned and respond with your total points balance within 1-2 business days.
redeem rewards
Earn rewards by collecting points when you support downtown businesses from the beginning of November to the end of December. Once you’re ready to redeem a reward, shoot us a text at 1-307-219-1119 telling us which reward to cash your points in on from the options below and we’ll handle the rest! Rewards starting at 250 points – get started today!
From November 26th through to New Years Eve, Downtown Cheyenne becomes a hub for the Old Western Holiday Spirit.
With many activities, events, and Santa visits to choose from, there’s something great around every corner!
For Business Owners
Below are several resources to help you prepare for the 2022 holiday season. From marketing materials, local shopping events, and national information–you’re going to make this the best year yet!
History of Shop Small Saturday
Created in 2010 during the recession, Shop Small Saturday (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) has become an ongoing national movement for communities to support and connect with local entreprenuers of their cities. Black Friday has long been known for a day of sales among larger corporate companies, but Shop Small Saturday focuses on ensuring that economic development is also done with our neighbors and friends.
On that particular Saturday for the 12 years following its inception, small businesses, Downtown organizations, Chamber of Commerces, and many others band together to create promotions, sales, and plans to encourage one another to remember those who make a living locally.
While American Express has a sign up for communities and businesses to obtain swag, gifts and other items to give away to their patrons for the day, many communities have taken the movment further and created year-round shop small campaigns. In 2020, Wyoming Main Street (our state downtown revitalization program, operating through National Main Street) created the Shop Smart, Shop Small campaign, to encourage local spending not only through Covid, but to help keep our small, local businesess alive and thriving through a difficult holiday season. This program has continued through partnerships with the Wyoming State Chamber of Commerce and the Wyoming Economic Development Association.
Plaid Friday
This movement took national acclaim in 2021, during the pandemic, when small businesses and their local owners suffered the most. The pandemic pointed a spotlight on the struggles and challenges that often come with owning a local business, and many communities across the country realized the vitality these businesses play in a local economy.
While Plaid Friday originally began in 2009 (in Oakland, CA), as a means to be a more casual shopping experience then the frenzy of Black Friday, it has since taken hold in many communities . You’ll note those busnesses and community members who are participating by their plaid attire during the Friday following Thanksgiving. Many may offer the same specials and opportunities that can also be found on Shop Small Saturday.
So why the plaid? The fibers of the material that make up plaid represents the woven threads of small businesses, their supporters, and the community organizations that come together to create and explore what it means to be ‘independent,’ ‘local,’ and an ‘entreprenuer’ of a small business in a local economy.